Storms that moved through the Treasure Valley on Thursday afternoon and early evening pummeled a narrow swath of the region with huge chunks of hail. Thousands throughout the Valley were left in the dark. The National Weather Service in Boise said it received reports of golf ball-sized hail mainly along the Ada County Line, in northeast Eagle and along Idaho 55 toward Horseshoe Bend. Of the hail’s effects in Eagle, resident Julie Lokken had this to say: “What a mess! Leaves plastered everywhere. Worst I have ever seen!” Idaho Power crews were very busy, responding to multiple outages in Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Star and other areas. A mudslide shut down Idaho 55 between Banks and Smiths Ferry. The highest recorded windspeed in Boise on Thursday was 41 mph, with a gust of 51 mph also recorded. Only 0.07 inches of rain was recorded at the official Boise measuring station although higher amounts fell elsewhere in...Read More

Keller district officials plan to tackle a lengthy list of roofing repairs this summer and next using money from an insurance settlement and from the 2008 bond package. Some 10 to 12 facilities will receive attention in 2013, with Central High School”s roof repair as the most complex project. “Because it”s a high school campus, it does pose some coordinating challenges because of all the activities scheduled there,” said Hudson Huff, director of planning and construction. Hillwood Middle School, Keller-Harvel, Lone Star, Freedom and North Riverside Elementary schools, Chisholm Trail and South Keller Intermediate schools and the Education Center will have repairs ranging from minor repairs to major replacements. In September, trustees approved a settlement of about $17 million with the Property Casualty Alliance of Texas for roofing repairs that stemmed from a March 2009 hail storm. The 2008 bond contained $3.5 million for routine roof repairs and replacements, but that amount didn”t cover all...Read More

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 08, 2013 According to the NOAA website intense thunderstorms raked through the highly populated McAllen/Edinburg/Mission area of Hidalgo County during the mid-evening of March 29, 2012. The storms packed 75 mph winds and dumped hail the size of baseballs for more than half an hour. In addition to the intense winds and hail, residents of this highly populated region were also subject to relentless rain and serious flooding. The wild storms had devastating effects on the communities, and homeowners and business owners sustained serious damage to their properties. Vehicles left outdoors were damaged by the strong hail, trees and limbs were pulled down and damaged many roofs, and in one area of north McAllen, a minimum of one window was blown out of every north-facing home. Much to the community’s dismay, however, they were told by FEMA that they were ineligible for federal assistance, because none of the structures were destroyed;...Read More

Freezing rain and sleet made for a sloppy Christmas morning trek in parts of the nation’s midsection on Tuesday, while residents along the Gulf Coast braced for thunderstorms, high winds and tornadoes. Icy roads already were blamed for a 21-vehicle pileup in Oklahoma, where authorities warned would-be travelers to stay home. Fog blanketed highways, including arteries in the Atlanta area where motorists slowed as a precaution. In New Mexico, drivers across the eastern plains had to fight through snow, ice and low visibility. At least two tornadoes were reported in Texas, though only one building was damaged, according to the National Weather Service. A blizzard watch was posted for parts of Indiana and western Kentucky for storms expected to unfold Tuesday amid predictions of up to 4 to 7 inches of snow in coming hours. Much of Oklahoma and Arkansas braced under a winter storm warning of an early mix of rain and sleet forecast...Read More

Hailstorms are the most damaging weather events in Texas. For the first time, the Texas Department of Insurance hosted a symposium spotlighting this natural disaster. “We hear about every hurricane, we don’t hear about every hailstorm and just because they’re not as big events,” said Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman. More than 300 professionals participated, talking about the short-term and long-lasting costs from the destructive hail storms. “It is a partnership not only between the consumers, but the regulators, the weather folks, the roofing industry, the insurance industry,” said Jenny Pye, Director of Quality Assurance. The Texas Department of Insurance estimated more than $1.7 billion in insured property losses last year, with more than $1.2 billion of the losses occurring in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. “We’re sort of in hail alley here,” said the National Weather Service’s Dr. Steve Lyons. “Part of the problem is, you’ve got this huge metropolis out here, and there is...Read More

EUGENE, Ore. – Hail washed across South Eugene on Monday afternoon, and storm clouds and blue sky took turns over Western Oregon – sometimes at the same time. Reports of intense hail and damage to trees came in from around Eugene and Springfield. KVAL News visited a Springfield neighborhood where a “dust devil” or other tornado-like wind storm knocked a tree through a fence and ripped a carport from a home. “There was a pitch black cloud above us and the whole thing was spinning counter clockwise,” said Philip Port, who witnessed the storm. “It went up over the house and dropped pine needles.” Bria Stewart stopped the car and took a picture out the passenger side window of calm skies – and a picture out the driver side window of storm clouds. “Crazy Oregon weather in Junction City,” Stewart told KVAL News. Karen Forrest said a storm went over Brownsville just after 2 p.m....Read More

Tornado touches down in Hale Center, hail breaks windows HALE CENTER — A tornado touched down five miles southeast of Hale Center in a storm system that delivered baseball-sized hail, at least in one case breaking car windows Friday. “We didn’t hear any reports of damage” from the tornado, explained National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Vitale. “The report we got is it only lasted a couple of minutes.”  The first official report of Hale Center hail came at 6:21 p.m., Vitale said, measuring 2 inches in diameter. Then 2.75-diameter hail was observed there at 6:58 p.m. Car windows were reported broken by hail at the I-27 rest stop near Hale Center. There also were reports of hail in Tulia and Kress. After the tornado passed through the Hale Center area, Vitale said it touched down again eight miles west of Lockney. “It weakened significantly after it moved out of Hale County,” the meteorologist said of...Read More

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP — Managers for two local lumber and home improvement stores say the July 1 hail storm that rolled through Catawba Island and Danbury Townships is still sending hundreds of customers through their doors weekly. “We have been considerably busier,” said Roger Radsick, of Gordon Lumber. “Without looking at the numbers, I’d say we’ve been up 20 to 25 percent.” Roofing and siding have been the staples. Radsick said that while local contractors and most out-of-town contractors are buying shingles and siding from local retailers, some are ordering their supplies and having them shipped in. Locally he said, anything associated with roofing and siding is flying off the shelves, he said. Rich Riedmaier of Carter Lumber, just down the street from Gordon on Ohio 53, agreed that shingles and siding are the No. 1 sellers. In general, a spring order for shingles consists of about 10 truckloads, he said. “We’ve probably already gone through...Read More